


Kerblam

by JTtrack2



Series: Series 11...but Thasmin [7]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:00:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21917185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JTtrack2/pseuds/JTtrack2
Summary: This is part of the Series 11... but Thasmin rewrite.What if the ending of Kerblam made a *bit* more sense and you mixed a bit of soft Thasmin into the story?
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan
Series: Series 11...but Thasmin [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1578505
Comments: 13
Kudos: 86





	Kerblam

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mag_lex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mag_lex/gifts).



Yaz was proud of how well she was holding herself together, all things considered. When she was bored on long event-less shifts, she'd occasionally daydream about how she would handle a high-pressure scenario, narrowly escaping pursuit. Of course, she'd imagined the criminals pursuing her to be slightly less robotic. 

Nonetheless, she'd found herself in exactly the sort of position she'd trained for and she had kept a level head, held on to evidence, and gotten herself to safety. 

_And Ramesh thought I wasn't ready to run._

Yaz had been so caught up in getting the job done - reporting what she'd found to her team and working together to solve the mystery - that she hadn't entirely registered just how much danger she had been in. When she recounted the events to Ryan and the Doctor, she suddenly realized that it was _her_ scanner left smashed on the floor. By all rights, _she_ should be the one missing.

Of course the Doctor picked up on it immediately.

"I got an order in the Triple Nines. Dan said he'd get it. He was afraid I'd get lost and didn't want me to get fired and disappear like the last person to get an order down there."

"Dan went to get an order that _you_ were meant to look for?"

The look that flashed across the Doctor's face when Yaz nodded almost made her shiver. She'd rarely met someone as expressive as the Doctor. In the short time they'd been traveling together, she'd witnessed a range of emotions grace the Doctor's features - joy, fear, anger, disappointment, hope - and each one seemed to inscribe itself into every last muscle of her face. But she had never seen the Doctor's display of emotion so fleeting, nor so cold. Whatever Yaz's confirmation had stirred in her, the Doctor didn't want to let it show. And Yaz was surprised to realize that the look, while unsettling, didn't feel out of place.

She continued her report, eager not to dwell on the moment.

"All I found were these," she said, displaying Dan's treasured necklace and the broken scanner. "A Kerblam man suddenly appeared, like in the TARDIS. So I tried to ask him about Dan and he started walking towards me. Another appeared behind me and I just ran." 

"So, just to be clear. You found Dan's scanner crushed?" the Doctor's tone had shifted entirely, returning to her previous mixture of enthusiasm and concern.

"I heard him yell and now there's no sign of him anywhere." Yaz felt the cold metal of the necklace in her hand and thought of his young daughter, back on Kandoka. "We have to find him". 

"These were Delivery Bots like the Kerblam Man? Not the Team Mates?" 

Yaz shook her head without hesitation, certain of what she'd seen. The Doctor had barely waited for her answer before turning to Graham to share her plan. It would have irritated Yaz if her commanding officer had done the same. But with the Doctor, Yaz didn't mind. She knew it wasn't a matter of taking credit or doubting Yaz's own ability. And she knew she could trust the Doctor's plans. Or at least, she thought she could. Up until the Doctor announced that they were going to file a complaint and proceeded to march into Kerblam's executive office.

“Wait, this is Slade’s office?” Yaz said, raising her eyebrows.

“Did you think we were going to drop a note in the employee feedback box?”

“I…” Yaz began, but realized that she didn’t know _what_ she had thought. And before she could object, the Doctor had swung the door open and Yaz could only shrug at Ryan and follow her in.

She listened as the Doctor passed from informing the executives of Dan's disappearance to outright threatening them should they fail to act on it. She wasn't sure that blowing their cover was the best course of action - not when the executives themselves were still suspects - but she had to admit, she enjoyed the Doctor's display of bravado.

"Catch me up with this," Ryan began as they walked away from the office."We storm into management, kick up a hornet's nest. What ever happened to being under cover?"

"That was before I knew people were disappearing. I'm stepping it up a gear, going straight to the top." She paused and turned to Ryan with a raised eyebrow and cocked head manifesting her confusion. "Hornet's nest, really? Are you _sure_ that's the expression? I always thought it was a wasp's nest."

"Either way, are you sure it was smart to blow our cover?" Yaz asked. The Doctor spun around from where she had been examining the wall.

"Don't like bullies, don't like conspiracies, don't like people being in danger. And there's a flavour of all three here. I couldn't just go back to packaging and wait. Although..." the Doctor turned back to Ryan looking a bit sheepish. "One of us really should go back to packaging, Kira won't be able to keep up on her own."

Ryan agreed and the Doctor reached behind her and slid a door aside.

"Now, Yaz, ever hidden in a panelled alcove?"

"No," Yaz replied tentatively.

"You haven't lived."

"What are you gonna be doing in there, exactly?" Ryan asked and Yaz wasn't sure if she was imagining his smirk or if he was genuinely curious.

"We'll wait until Slade leaves, then we break back into his office, obviously."

"Obviously." This time, Ryan's grin left no doubt in Yaz's mind. "Just try not to kick up any wasps' nests in there, whatever that means." He winked at Yaz and turned down the hallway before he could catch a glimpse of her glare. 

"Oh, talking of wasps. Did I ever tell you about me and Agatha Christie?"

\---------

“You can’t be serious. You met Agatha Christie at an _actual_ murder mystery dinner party?” 

“Totally serious. Are you really more shocked by that than by the giant shape-shifting alien wasp?” 

“After what I’ve seen with you… the death-eye turtle army... the situation seems _far_ more improbable than the alien. I mean _Agatha Christie!_ I read all her books when I was younger.”

“Well, now you’re one of two people who know the truth about her disappearance,” the Doctor bragged, pleased that her tale had impressed Yaz.

“Me and Donna?” Yaz asked tentatively. The Doctor had mentioned her “best friend” Donna before and Yaz had held back on her curiosity. But she couldn’t resist this opportunity to pry indirectly.

Yaz couldn’t see the Doctor’s reaction, but she could hear her take a deep breath before answering.

“You and me. Donna… won’t remember.”

Before Yaz could reply, she was surprised to feel the Doctor’s arms wrap around her in a brief but firm squeeze. 

“What was that for?” Yaz asked gently, still feeling a phantom pressure everywhere their bodies had just touched.

“You almost…” the Doctor couldn’t finish the sentence and she was grateful that the darkness of the paneled alcove obscured the rage in her eyes at the thought someone had almost taken her Yaz. 

“I can’t lose you.” Her voice was barely a whisper but Yaz could feel the tension in her words. She considered pulling the Doctor in for another, longer hug, but she wasn’t sure that’s what she needed and didn’t entirely trust herself to stay focused on the matter at hand. Instead, she reached out in the dim light and took her hand.

“Tell me Doctor, when was the last time you hid in a panelled alcove?”

\-------

“Here we go, Twirly. Nice to meet you.” Yaz couldn’t help but smile, despite the circumstances. They’d just discovered Slade’s secret list of missing employees and barely managed to save Charlie from the grasp of a TeamMate, but leave it to the Doctor to take the time to be polite to a robot. 

“Quite cute, isn't it?” Yaz mused as the little bot began to light up. 

“It's kind of retro,” Graham added.

“Well, he is getting on a bit,” the Doctor said as she examined Twirly. “I love a bit of retro.”

Once the Doctor had used her sonic to turn on the little bot, Twirly had launched into his programmed sales pitch. “Customers who selected these items also bought ear mufflers, pencil sharpeners and cola bottles. Say yes now to order these three for the price of the cheapest two.” 

“No.” 

“Thank you. I have stored your preferences. And remember, if you want it, Kerblaaa…” Twirly’s lights flickered off as his voice faded.

\-------

“I can’t believe you confronted Slade _in his office_. I wouldn’t even know where to find his office,” Kira only looked up from the package she was wrapping briefly, but the awe in her expression filled Ryan with a sense of pride. He’d have never confronted management like that at his old job, even when they did treat people like trash.

Another package came out of the shoot and he set to wrapping it as quickly as he could. When he looked back up at Kira he jumped back, letting out a yelp as he nearly toppled over. He hadn’t heard anyone approach, but two Kerblam TeamMates stood on either side of Kira, their LED eyes peering over her shoulders. 

“Kira Arlo.” Ryan couldn’t tell which Teammate said her name. Their mouths didn’t move as the words echoed like a monotone chant.

“Hi, Yes, Sorry,” she began to apologize to the robots. “I didn’t you hear you there. I was in my own little world.”

“You are an exceptional worker, Kira Arlo.” 

“Am I?” Kira asked, clearly surprised by the Teammate’s compliment.

“You are.” Ryan interjected.

“We are thrilled to reveal you've been designated Employee Of The Day,” the other Teammate continued ignoring Ryan entirely.

“Oh. Oh wow. I, I…” she couldn’t quite wrap her head around what she’d just heard. “I didn't even know there was such a thing.”

This got Ryan’s attention. _What good is an Employee of the Day program if employees don’t even know they can win it?_

“And in recognition of your work, Kerblam has a gift for you.”

Ryan abandoned his wrapping station and began to slowly approach Kira and the TeamMates.

“A gift?” Kira was incredulous. Her face lit up with joy at the memory of the only other gift she’d ever received. A birthday gift from Judy, Head of People.

“Come with us,” the TeamMates said, once more seeming to chant in unison.

“Kira, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Ryan asked as he reached out for her, but before he could touch her there a bright flash of blue light and when Ryan opened his eyes again Kira and the TeamMates were gone.

“No, no, no, Kira!” he shouted, well-aware she wouldn’t hear him. “Ok Ryan, find the Doctor.”

He took off running, trying not to let his fear for Kira distract him from the task at hand. The Kerblam complex was a labyrinth that covered the better part of a moon. There were numerous signs guiding employees to their work stations or the home area, but little indication of where to find Slade’s office. Ryan supposed he wasn’t really an “open door policy” sort of manager.

Ryan had done his best to take note of any landmarks he could when he’d left Slade’s office a few hours earlier and he focused on reversing the path. Left where the lightbulb was flickering slightly, right two turns after the scratch on the sign for the Home area. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally reached the alcove where he’d last seen Yaz and the Doctor and saw the door slightly ajar. He slowed down to catch his breath as he walked last corridor to Slade’s office.

He didn’t even wait to open the door fully before shouting out the urgent news.

“Two of the TeamMates took Kir-” he froze as the rest of the office seemed to fade away and all he could see was the end of Slade’s gun.

“I don’t know what you and your friends are up to,” Slade hissed gesturing at a monitor on his desk where the Doctor could be seen leaning over Twirly. “But you’re going to come with me.”

\---------------------------

“It's out of juice. It needs a big recharge before I can access the code,” the Doctor said, looking to Judy for help.

“Maintenance store,” Graham replied before Judy could. “There's everything there.”

“That's not a good idea.” Charlie objected shaking his head almost before the words were out of Graham’s mouth.

Yaz tilted her head and watched, noting that Charlie’s eyes had gone wide and he was wringing his hands. But before she could ask why Graham’s seemingly reasonable suggestion would be a bad idea, Slade’s voice interrupted them.

“Move away from the delivery bot.”

Ryan walked a few feet ahead of him with his hands in the air, but as they approached the group Slade shifted his target from Ryan to the Doctor. The moment he did Yaz stepped towards him.

“Listen, Mr. Slade, why don’t you put the gun down and we can talk about what’s going on.” Yaz was pleased that she’d kept her voice calm and level, just as she’d been taught.

Yaz took another step closer and Slade pointed the gun at her. Before Yaz could even blink, the gun clattered to the floor as the Doctor’s fingers gripped Slade’s throat at just the right pressure points to immobilize him. _Venusian Aikido_ , Yaz remembered. This time, there was no darkness to obscure the anger that flashed across the Doctor’s eyes before she composed herself.

“Very bad manners to point guns at people. I've never warmed to you,” the Doctor kicked the weapon across the floor before releasing him from her hold. “So, tell us what you've done. We saw the list, the names of the victims you've targeted.”

“What? I'm not targeting people. I'm recording the missing,” Slade defended himself.

“And we might have another name to add to that list. Two of the TeamMates showed up in packaging and took Kira.”

“What? Kira?!” Charlie’s voice almost cracked as he asked the question.

“We have to find her,” Ryan insisted.

“Doctor, I’ve just had a notification from the system. Kira Arlo’s Group Loop has disappeared,” Judy looked up from her tablet in confusion.

“I thought you said the System didn't notify you when someone went missing,” the Doctor said furrowing her eyebrows.

“Well, it didn't until now,” Judy confirmed. “It's like it's sending us a deliberate message.”

“It knows we're onto it,” Ryan suggested.

“Where was her signal last recorded?” Charlie asked, his eyes wide with panic.

“Er…” Judy consulted her tablet again. “Dispatch.”

“That's not possible,” Charlie shook his head. “No people are allowed down there.”

“Dispatch? Foundation levels, right?” the Doctor asked. “Where the power's drained down to?”

“How do we get to her?” Yaz asked, ready as always to jump into action.

“You can't. It's fully automated.” Judy replied checking her tablet again to make sure she’d read it correctly. 

“There's not even a route down.”

“But she got down there somehow,” Yaz noted.

“You get what you need from that robot,” Ryan said stepping forward. “Yaz, Charlie, come with me. We'll find Kira.”

“Hang on, how are you going to get down there?” Graham asked, not too eager to split up the group without knowing what was going on.

“I know how these places work,” Ryan insisted holding his arms out with a reassuring smile.

The Doctor watched them go, no more pleased than Graham was to watch Yaz head off into the depths of a building where she’d already had her life threatened twice. But they had a job to do, and she knew the young police officer could take care of herself. She swallowed and turned back to Judy and Slade.

“Right, show me where we can get Twirly charged up.”

\--------------------------

“I’m never doing that again,” Ryan said, fighting to catch his breath. 

Yaz bit her tongue, ignoring the urge to point out that their perilous descent through the parcel transport system was his idea. What mattered now was finding Kira. She scanned the area, but in the dim light only hefty pillars and bare walls were visible.

“So we’re at the foundation level?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Charlie replied instantly. Before Yaz could ask how he was so sure, seeing as no _organics_ were supposed to have access to the foundation level, a voice echoed off the concrete.

“Hello.”

In such a large space it felt impossible to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

“Hello.”

“That’s Kira’s voice!” Charlie confirmed, eyes frantically darting around the room seeking out the source. 

Yaz didn’t waste a second more and set off racing through the open space, eyes scanning ahead for any sign of danger as the boys set off after her.

“Over there!” she shouted, pointing to the left. Kira stood behind a window, looking out.

“Hello!” she called again.

“Kira!” Charlie shouted as he ran to the window. But Kira’s gaze didn’t waver as she continued to stare straight ahead. _A one way window,_ Yaz realized as Charlie began to pound on the glass. 

“Let me find the entrance,” Yaz said quickly setting off to search for a door.

“We've got to get her out,” Charlie pleaded. “Why's she in there?”

“There's no access from here,” Yaz reported returning to the window just as a Kerblam delivery man appeared behind Kira. “We can't get her out.”

“Kira Arlo,” the familiar, mechanical voice greeted her. “Congratulations on being named employee of the month, Kira Arlo.”

As Kira turned to face him, the delivery bot held out a parcel.

“No!” Charlie shouted, fist banging harder on the glass. “Kira!”

Yaz looked at him curiously, watching his agitation grow as Kira took the package and began to open it. She kept her back to the window, obscuring their view of what the Kerblam man had offered her. She set the box beside her on the table and Charlie began to rub at his face, his shoulders shaking.

When Kira set a carefully unwrapped sheet of bubble wrap on the table, Yaz swore she heard Charlie whisper “Oh thank the Gods” as he breathed a sigh of relief. She looked up at Ryan who returned her raised eyebrows, silently communicating the same thought: _he knows something_.

“Charlie, what -” Ryan’s question was cut off as Charlie slammed both firsts against the glass, letting out a guttural howl. “Nooooo!”

Yaz and Ryan looked up to see the flat, glowing eyes of the Kerblam man fixed on Charlie as his boxy, robotic finger slowly pressed into the bubble wrap. Suddenly, a blue flash gave way to a blinding green wave of light. When Yaz opened her eyes again, Kira and the Kerblam man were gone. Not even the table still stood in the sparse room. 

Ryan turned to Charlie immediately. “You knew that was going to happen.” 

“Charlie,” Yaz made sure to keep her voice gentle, recalling everything she’d learned about keeping a suspect calm and cooperative.

“It’s done this deliberately,” Charlie choked out, clenching his fists.

Yaz looked up at Ryan as she realized just how much danger they were all in. When an alien robot begins shooting at you, the threat is evident. But _bubble wrap?_ The others would have no idea they needed to protect themselves until it was too late.

“We need to find the Doctor,” she said and set off running further into the depths of Kerblam, hoping the others had also found their way to the foundation level somehow. 

\--------

“Vast teleportation hardware, with huge reserves of power building up. What if the power's been drained to be stored for one huge simultaneous teleport?” the Doctor asked, looking around at the thousands of Kerblam delivery bots stood before her. “All these deliveries, all at once.”

The Doctor’s thoughts were spinning, trying desperately to piece everything together, gazing out at the thousands of Kerblam delivery men lining the vast hanger before her. _The system needs help. Who is in control? What do the missing employees have to do with the power drains? The delayed deliveries?_ And beneath all the questions and missing pieces, one constant worry: _Yaz_. The Doctor was kicking herself for not realizing earlier that they could use a teleport. She should have figured it out the moment Ryan told her Kira had disappeared with two TeamMates. She trusted Yaz to be able to take care of herself, but she shouldn’t have needed to go off with Ryan and Charlie in the first place. 

“To do what?” Graham asked and the Doctor’s thoughts stilled as the answer made her blood run cold.

“You said it looked like an army,” she replied. “What do armies carry?”

“Weapons?” Graham shrugged, looking at the seemingly innocuous red Kerblam boxes each delivery bot held.

The Doctor took a deep breath and turned to the nearest Kerblam man, tearing the parcel open with reckless urgency. 

“But that's not a weapon, it's a toy,” Judy noted the obvious as the Doctor furrowed her brows at the chunk of plastic in her hands.

“And every parcel's got something different in it,” Slade added.

“Almost. Except what does every parcel here have in common?” 

A scan with the sonic confirmed her fear and she swallowed, pushing down worry for Yaz. _Why had she let her run off after Ryan, the lot of them clearly intending to follow the same path down as these weaponized parcels?_ She took a deep breath and focused her thoughts on the bigger problem.

“Deadly bubble wrap,” she began to explain to the others. “Totally innocuous, apart from when it's intercepted here and weaponised. Sheets of tiny little bombs, ready to explode and kill. Every parcel a death-trap. The workers aren't the targets. It's the customers.”

“Kerblam's trying to kill their own customers?” Graham scoffed. “That's the worst business plan I've ever heard.”

“Doctor, we've found you.” The sound of Yaz’s voice lifted a weight from the Doctor’s shoulders, but before she could react Ryan’s voice followed.

“Kira's dead, and Charlie had something to do with it.”

“Not Kira. It wasn't meant for her,” Charlie appeared beside the stairwell holding a small device above his head. “The System took her. It's been fighting back against me.”

“Because it knew what you were planning,” the Doctor walked slowly towards Charlie as all the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. “The maintenance man. Access to everywhere, noticed by hardly anyone.”

Yaz barely heard the exchange that followed. All the could see was the device in Charlie’s hand, the anger in his eyes, and the Doctor walking towards him. She began to move slowly, as Charlie’s attention remained fixed on Judy. She shifted behind the group, staying close to the wall, placing herself level with Charlie. She remembered her training. _Let the negotiator work, but get into position_. 

“People like me, my generation, we change things. We make things happen.” Charlie was practically sputtering now, his rage and determination transforming his previously bumbling demeanor. 

“Even if it costs people's lives. You kill a load of customers at Kerblam, let the systems take the fall for it, erode people's trust in automation, make people angry,” the Doctor summarized Charlie’s plan.

“Imperfect technology, without a conscience. Machines malfunction, that's what they do.”

“No, mate, that's what you're doing,” Graham insisted. “Seriously malfunctioning.”

“I'm not your mate!”

“Except Kerblam's System isn’t the one killing people. It's been fighting you, Charlie. It sent a message across the galaxy, begging for help. That TeamMate in Slade's office, it was coming for _you_ ,” the Doctor argued.

“It killed Kira!” Charlie shouted back at her.

“It took her, knowing how you felt about her, to show you how it would feel. Because how you feel right now about Kira is how all those families and friends will feel if your plan goes off.”

“I don't care,” Charlie said, his finger slipping closer to the trigger.

“I think you do. I think you came here with a plan, but you didn't expect to fall in love. But that's what happens,” the Doctor resisted the urge to glance at Yaz. She’d seen her move closer and didn’t want to draw Charlie’s attention to her. 

“Use it, Charlie, learn from it, please,” she begged him, hoping the thought of Kira would get through to him. She knew Kira would not want this.

“No! No. If that's the price to change how everyone on Kandoka sees technology, then it is worth it,” Charlie yelled, his entire body shaking. “For the cause. We can't let the systems take control!”

“The systems aren't the problem. How people use and exploit the system, that's the problem. People like you,” the Doctor held his eye contact, knowing that she could only keep him talking so much longer. Knowing her chances of stopping him were fading. “You spent so much time studying science and systems, you forgot to understand people, Charlie. Behind every system, there are people pulling the strings, making the decisions, programming the system. And what do you think those people will do, if you go through with this? You think they’ll let the system take the fall?”

For once, Charlie didn’t respond immediately and the Doctor felt the tiniest crack of opportunity open. 

“Let me tell you what will happen, Charlie, because I’ve seen it before. Those people who control the system? Well, if you think you’ve got nothing to lose, they’ve got _everything_ to lose. And they’ll control the narrative. I could write the headlines now: _Fanatical Kerblam Employee Kills Thousands as System Fights to Stop Him_. Technology won’t be the enemy, Charlie. It will be seen as the savior. Fewer human workers, more surveillance technology, and any dissenters silenced. All in the name of law and order.”

“There are others,” Charlie argued. “They will get the truth out.”

“The truth that you murdered thousands of people?” the Doctor cocked her head. “What do you think will happen to the others when that truth comes out, Charlie? The anger you’re feeling now? The victim’s families will feel it too. And I think we both know what people are capable of when they want revenge.”

For a moment, the Doctor thought it had worked. She saw the hesitation in Charlie’s eyes, saw his grip on the trigger start to slip. But then she saw his walls go back up as he swallowed hard and held himself taller. 

“I don't care what you think. The delivery goes ahead,” he said, pushing the button with determination.

Instantly, a thousand robotic eyes lit up and their collective voice rang out.

“Mass delivery procedures initiating.”

Time seemed to speed up as Charlie smashed the controller beneath his foot moments before Yaz reached him, twisting his arms to lock him into a hold she’d practiced dozens of times on her colleagues.

“Destination coordinates locked. Preparing teleport.” The robotic voice of the system kept its usually, cheerful intonation, unable to adapt to the grim reality of its announcement. Yaz could only watch as the Doctor knelt in front of the smashed device. She knew that if there was any way to stop the terror that Charlie had set into motion, the Doctor would find it. She focused on maintaining her hold on Charlie who fought harder and harder against her as he watched the Doctor unravel his plans. She’d abandoned the broken launch device and picked up the original Kerblam delivery bot.

“Change of delivery address for every order about to teleport,” the Doctor explained to Twirly. “New address, right here, this hangar, right where we're standing. I want every Kerblam man to deliver to themselves.”

\-----

They had cut it a little close for comfort. They often did. The Doctor apparently wanted Charlie to see with his own eyes as the Kerblam bots opened their packages, took out the bubble wrap and…

When they teleported back to the welcome area, Yaz kept her hold on Charlie as he slumped over in tears. 

Although they’d averted a large-scale disaster, Yaz knew the loss of Kira would still weigh on the Doctor. She’d rarely heard her voice sound so dejected.

“If you want it… Kerblam it.”

The moment the Doctor had spoken the words, a blue flash accompanied by the tell-tale whizzing sound of a teleport came from over her shoulder. She almost dropped her sonic as she spun around in surprise. 

Yaz didn’t think she would ever see the Doctor jump a meter into the air in excitement at seeing a Kerblam man again. But she also didn’t expect she would ever see a Kerblam man standing before her with his hand on the shoulder of -

“KIRA!” Her name came from all directions as everyone seemed to shout it almost in unison.

The Doctor immediately enveloped the young woman in a firm hug before pulling back to examine her.

“Are you alright?” she asked, looking her over.

“I am, yeah, thank you.” Kira looked flustered by all of the attention that was drawn to her.

“But how are you alright?” Ryan asked. “We saw you… well.”

Yaz’s eyes grew wide with realization. “There was a moment of blue light. You teleported!”

“We did, yeah,” Kira explained. “Just after I opened my gift, we teleported to Slade’s office and…”

She turned to Charlie. “I saw everything. On his video monitors. All those people, Charlie… how could you think it was worth their lives?” 

“Kira, I…” Charlie began, but the words wouldn’t come. A tear slid down her cheek as she stared into his eyes, but no explanation could take it back. Ryan gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

“C’mon, Kira. Let’s get you a cuppa,” he said, leading her towards the employee break room.

“Slade, contact the authorities in Kandoka to come take care of Charlie. Judy, you come with me,” the Doctor said. “I have some questions about the _organics_ in charge of Kerblam.”

\-----

If Yaz had thought the Doctor’s speech in Slade’s office had been bombastic, the word took on a whole new meaning once she saw the Doctor address the Board of Directors back on Kandoka. She wasn’t sure she could even recall what the Doctor had said, exactly. The sight of the Doctor laying into a dozen middle-aged white men in suits with such force that they were left sinking in their chairs as though they intended to hide under the table had left her unable to concentrate on the Doctor’s words. Though she was certain they would lead to at least _some_ change in how Kerblam was managed.

The moment the board room door closed behind them Yaz reached for the Doctors coat and pulled her forward, crashing their lips together in a kiss that was messy and urgent and entirely overdue. 

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” the Doctor asked, a bit surprised that Yaz paid no mind to the various office employees shuffling around them.

“You’re amazing,” Yaz whispered.

The Doctor leaned her forehead against Yaz’s, holding her hand between them.

“So are you.”

“Doctor, can I make a request?” Yaz pulled back just enough to look up into the Doctor’s hazel eyes and she felt slightly overwhelmed by the openness and sincerity that shone back at her.

“Always.”

“If Dan hadn't have switched scanners, it would have been me in that stock room. He saved my life…”

The Doctor swallowed. She hadn’t forgotten how close she’d come to… she didn’t even want to finish the thought.

“I want to take this to his daughter,” Yaz continued, holding out a small heart-shaped pendant. “Tell her how much he loved it. How much he loved her.”

“It's the least we can do,” the Doctor replied with a gentle smile.

\----------------------------

“He always told the worst jokes. But he never failed to make me laugh. He didn’t get everything right, but he always had a smile.”

Dan’s daughter sat curled into her mother’s side, clutching his pendant that now hung from her neck as she listened to her mother reminisce. 

“On our first date, he walked into the bar and said to the barman, ‘You got anything to drink around here?’” Linh laughed at the memory as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Well, the jokes he told me weren’t quite _that_ bad,” Yaz replied. “But they did make me laugh.” 

“He really lit up though when he was talking about you,” she added when the little girl looked up at her.

“Tell me about his jokes,” the child asked, just barely above a whisper. 

“He liked to give the robots names,” Yaz told her with soft smile. “He’d come in everyday, ask one how his family was.”

The little girl’s body shook with quiet laughter. “Robots don’t have families. What did the robot say?”

“I acknowledge your amusing co-worker banter,” Yaz answered in her best imitation of a TeamMate’s robotic voice and the little girl broke out into laughter. The Doctor smiled at Yaz, in awe of her ability to connect with people, to make a child laugh in one of the most painful moments of her young life.

“Tea’s still quite hot, so be careful.” 

The Doctor turned to accept a mug from Linh’s wife Wendie and handed the second one to Yaz.

Wendie disappeared into the kitchen again before returning with two more mugs and handing one to her wife, taking a seat beside her and helping herself to one of the biscuits she’d already placed on the table when they arrived. Yaz watched as Wendie reached out and gently rubbed the little girl’s shoulder. She was relieved to see that the child would at least be surrounded by so much love while she learned to live with her grief.

“How long have you been married?” Yaz asked, blowing on the mug of tea in her hands.

“Two years next month. If she keeps putting up my cooking,” Wendie answered ruffling her wife’s hair.

“You know I’ll never get rid of you,” Linh replied with a cheeky grin lighting up her face. “As long as you always do the vacuuming.” 

“Ahhh right, I forgot you slipped that into the prenup,” Wendie laughed leaning over to kiss her wife on the cheek.

“How about you?” Linh asked looking between the Doctor and Yaz. “How long have you two been together?”

The Doctor choked on her biscuit in surprise. Neither of the women had said that they were a couple and they hadn’t even talked to each other yet about what their relationship was exactly. But Yaz patted her gently on her back as she coughed and didn’t miss a beat.

“It’s new,” she said with a wide smile. 

“Well, hold on to it,” Linh replied. “I know something special when I see it.”

“But from the look of things,” Wendie added surveying the crumbs coating the Doctor’s trousers and the carpet. “You should really be responsible for the vacuuming, Doctor.” 

**Author's Note:**

> PC Yasmin Khan would never have lost her grip on Charlie. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
> 
> Thanks to mag_lex for putting this idea together. It was a lot of fun and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Happy Holidays!


End file.
